T-55 SZRP - Hungary's first ERA development and installment

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A T-55A with the SZRP-L and SZRP-N reactive armor.

SZRP - Szendvicsszerkezetű Reaktív Páncél

The ERA was showed off at the C + D 1995 millitary exhibition.

It was designed for the protection of armored combat vehicles, especially tanks, against cumulative effect anti-tank weapons.

The SZRP type reactive armor consists of blocks that can be mounted on a tank- The blocks consist of small reactive bodies.

Depending on the armor thickness of the vehicle to be protected, the reactive blocks can be made of reactive bodies of two sizes/variants.

These two variants are:

SZRP-L (which is lower in height, smaller one), at 0 o it reduces the penetration to 40% (800mm or less penetration)

at 45 o it reduces penetration to 15% (800mm or less penetration)

SZRP-N (bigger one, normal thick one), at 0 o it reduces the penetration to 20% (800mm or less penetration)

at 45 o it reduces penetration to 5% (800mm or less penetration)

These information are true to cumulative shells/rockets with a penetration of around or less than 800 mm.

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As you can see on the T-55A the Hull has the bigger SZRP-N reactive armor and the Turret has the SZRP-L reactive armor put on.

Testing on the SZRP, they put it on the front hull of a T-55 tank.

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2.picture: SZRP reactive armor block mounted on the frontal armor

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3.picture: SZRP reactive armors effect on the cumulative charges impact

Equipping a tank with the reactive armor gives 600-800 kg of extra weight.

Small-caliber armor piercing bullets or incendiary projectiles and shrapnel from artillery do not detonate/initiate the reactive armor.

The blocks cannot initiate each other.

Reactive blocks can withstand the thermal effects of napalm for 10 minutes.

The reactive blocks are installed on the tank without fasteners, but with form-locking fixations.

If the reactive block is damaged, it can be replaced by 2 people without tools.

T-55A Technical Data:

armament: primary weapon: 100mm D-10T-TS2

secondary weapons: 7.62mm PKT machinegun

DSHK 12.7 heavy machinegun

ammunition: 43 rounds

armour: 200mm - 20mm

Engine: V-55 500 horsepower

Transmission: 5 forward - 1 reverse gears

Maximum speed: 51 km/h (~32 mph) on road 27 km/h cross country (~17 mph)

Length: 6.2 m (9.0 m with gun forward)
Width: 3.64 m

Height: 2.35 m

weight: 38 tonnes

crew: 4 (driver, gunner, commander, loader)

features: night vision, two plane stabiliazer, NBC protection, infrared sight

Operational range: 325 kilometres (202 mi), 610 kilometres (380 mi) with extra tanks (on unpaved roads)

The difference beetwen the T-55 and the T-55A is that on the T-55A they installed the POV plasticized lead antiradiation lining in the interior, and beacause of that it required the driver’s hatch and the coamings over the turret hatches to be enlarged. This liner enhanced the protection of the crew against fragments/shrapnell. The tank was also equipped with a full PAZ/FVU chemical filtration system for NBC protection. The coaxial 7.62 mm SGMT machine gun in the turret was replaced by the more modern 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. The hull was lengthened by 16 cm, so from 6.04 m they lengthened it to 6.2 m. The hull machine gun was removed, so it made space for six more 100mm rounds. Because of these changes, the weight of the vehicle increased from 36 tonnes to 38 tonnes.

The tank nowadays is resting at Magyargencs where its in the hands of the Hadtörténeti Múzeum Magyargencs.

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Front view

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back view

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left side view

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right side view

Sources

Sources: https://mkk.uni-nke.hu/document/mkk-uni-nke-hu/1995_kulonszam.pdf

Hadtörténeti Múzeum Magyargencs

T-55 reaktív pótpáncél Currus - Makettinfo.hu

T-55 ERA magyar fejlesztés - Makettinfo.hu

https://www.armyrecognition.com/russia_russian_army_tank_heavy_armoured_vehicles_u/t-55_main_battle_tank_technical_data_fact_sheet_pictures_video.html

T-54/T-55 - Wikipedia

6 Likes

Hey, just so you know. Every image is broken.

4 Likes

so it’s not just me

3 Likes

Seems there are many suggestions with broken images. I don’t wanna go through all of them, but it is a good idea to remind people if you happen upon one.

1 Like

Thanks man! Wouldn’t have noticed it.

1 Like

Welcome!

1 Like

it would be nice to have in 9.0.

2 Likes

i hope this, the T-72 Currus and the TAS gets passed soon.

2 Likes

Or even just one of them tbh, it’s always really cool to see indigenous tanks of a nation

2 Likes

A T-55 with ERA and something more? I mean, yes why not? +1

2 Likes

One would think that slapping some new ERA blocks on an existing asset would be quick… but adding this is taking forever

2 Likes

Or more likely, it wont be added